


Every Demon Wants It's Pound Of Flesh

by ink_writes16



Series: It’s Hard to Dance With The Devil On Your Back [2]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Carlos deserves better, M/M, Protective TK Strand, homophobia tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29785413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_writes16/pseuds/ink_writes16
Summary: “Nononono,” he muttered.His head spun and his heart raced and he couldn’t move. He felt a hand on his arm, comforting and supportive.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes & Paul Strickland (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Marjan Marwani & Carlos Reyes, Mateo Chavez & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Series: It’s Hard to Dance With The Devil On Your Back [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189319
Comments: 16
Kudos: 191
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And back by popular demand :) chapter two will be posted tomorrow

"Okay, so you didn't like that one," TK said with a small smile. "What about this one?"

He held up a tie, a simple light blue one. Carlos studied it, ran his fingers over it, and looked back up at him. 

"Only if you wear the salmon one," Carlos responded, making TK laugh and bite his lip. 

"Deal."

Carlos took a deep breath and watched him scribble something onto his notepad. 

"Now we need to talk about food. Do we want to cater or have someone cook?" TK glanced up at him for a moment, an adorable blush spreading over his cheeks. "What?"

"Nothin'," Carlos grinned. "I just can't believe we’re really doing this."

"I know, but we've put off the planning for so long-"

"No," he laughed. "No, I mean... the wedding in general."

A look of panic crossed TK's features, despite how he tried to hide it. "You having second thoughts?"

"Absolutely not." Carlos pulled him into a kiss, TK breaking it a moment later with a wide grin. " _God_ , I love you."

"I love you, too," TK mumbled. "And as much as I would absolutely love to sit here and make out with you..."

"We have to keep going?"

"Yeah..." he hummed reluctantly. The doorbell rang and he pressed a kiss to Carlos's forehead before standing. "That'll be the food. Will you, _please,_ check the guest list? I want to make sure we have everyone."

"I got it, babe, don't worry," Carlos smiled. TK returned it and left to get the food. He picked up the paper and read through the list of names. About halfway down the list, his smile faded. "Uh, Ty, mi amor?"

"Yeah?" He asked, popping a french fry in his mouth as he put the food on the coffee table. He sat next to his boyfriend- _fiancé_ \- and leaned over to look at the paper. "Did I leave someone off?"

"Why are my parents on this?"

TK shifted. "I thought you'd want them there," he said hesitantly. "It's our wedding day, I thought-"

"You should have asked me."

"It's not like I've sent anything out yet," he said. "I thought you said you talked to them. Like, a _while_ ago."

Carlos ran his hands over his face. He had talked to his parents. Or, rather, he had _tried_. For a few weeks, after he'd told them about TK, he had tried to get them to talk. After a few months of radio silence, he decided that if they didn't want to see him happy in the _thriving_ relationship he was in, that wasn't on him. And he was done trying to prove himself to them.

It had been almost a year. 

He shook his head. "I tried. They-They cut me off."

"They _what?"_ TK scoffed. "When?"

He hesitated then mumbled out " _last year_." TK studied him. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

There was a hint of hurt and sadness but mostly concern. No anger, though, which had Carlos releasing a breath of relief.

"I, um... I didn't want you to worry." He finally met TK's gaze. 

"Babe, you're a cop," TK said with a teasing smile, grabbing his hand. "I always worry."

“I know, that’s what I mean.”

TK frowned. “I’m- What do you mean?”

“I was just... you had a lot on your plate anyway with your parents and becoming a paramedic- which, I’m really proud of you for, by the way.” TK laughed and shook his head. “I just didn’t want to add anything on top of that.”

“Carlos,” TK started, lacing their fingers together. “You are _always_ the first thing on my priority list. You are always the first thing I think about- or _worry_ about.”

Carlos smiled a little and looked at their hands. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I do know that, yes,” TK said smugly. Carlos laughed softly and pushed him away playfully.

“Prick.”

“You love me,” he teased.

“I do,” he sighed defeatedly, pulling TK in for a kiss.

* * *

Carlos sat back and watched as TK, Mateo, Marjan, Paul, and Judd yelled and argued and bickered. He loved when they were all together like this, they always laughed and genuinely enjoyed themselves.

They were currently playing another round of Mario Kart on the gaming system in the firehouse, the six of them spread hap-hazardously on the couches. Marjan bumped against Paul and TK on either side of her as she got _way too_ invested; Mateo was reaching for Judd’s controller, complaining that he was cheating. 

“I’m not cheatin’, you’re just not playin’ right.”

There was a cacophony of sounds as the game ended: cheers, whines, booing. TK smiled up at Carlos and offered his controller. 

“You sure you don’t want to play?”

Carlos shook his head. “You guys are pretty entertaining to watch.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Who’s up for another?”

TK didn’t respond to that (although the average answer was “hell yeah” or “I’ll kick your ass this time”). Instead, he raised an eyebrow at his fiancé, an unsaid question.

_Are you okay?_

Carlos gave him a small nod and TK smiled at him. His eyes caught something behind him and the smile disappeared. Carlos followed his gaze.

“Nononono,” he muttered.

His head spun and his heart raced and he couldn’t move. He felt a hand on his arm, comforting and supportive. 

TK.

He turned to face him, shaking his head. “I can’t...Ty, I-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” TK assured him; he moved in front of him and cupped Carlos’s face.“You don’t have to; no one’s going to make you.”

His breathing quickened and he shook his head again. “I _can’t_...they shouldn’t- god, _why_ are they here?”

“Strand, what’s going on?” Judd said, glancing between them. “Who are they?”

“His parents,” he said, not looking away from Carlos. “Deep breaths, baby, it’s okay.” His voice was soft and comforting and strengthening.

“I’m gonna guess we don’t like them,” Marjan said. 

“Not exactly,” he muttered. 

“Is it because of what I think it’s about?” Paul asked, one eyebrow raised. TK gave him a look and he nodded. “I thought so.”

Carlos pressed his forehead against TK’s; his breathing started to even out and he brought his hands up to wrap around his wrists. 

“You want me to tell ‘em to go?” Judd asked, leaning forward. “I can tell ‘em you’re not here.”

Carlos shook his head, pulling back from TK. “No, no. It’s fine, it's... I’ll deal with it.”

“Carlos.”

He dragged his hands over his face. “It’ll be fine.”

TK nodded but he was obviously unconvinced. Carlos stood and pushed the door open, barely aware that the other five were watching.

“What are you doing here?”

His parents turned to face him. His father’s face was cold and hard, but hers was soft and almost inviting.

“We needed to talk to you.”

“Why _here_?” He gestured vaguely at the rig. “How did you know I’d be here?”

“We went to the station, they told us you might be here.”

“Because of TK...” he mumbled.

Neither of them responded. Then his father lifted his hand, presenting a decorated card. 

* * *

Come yell at me for this on [my Tumblr](https://futures-tense.tumblr.com/ask)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Carlos's parents come to the fire house, Carlos is reminded of just how much he has. And how much he'd be willing to lose for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, this is it. And y'all were so sweet and the comments were amazing I'm so glad you liked the first part

He looked at TK, a look of betrayal clear on his face but he shook his head, just as confused. He'd _promised_ not send them a save the date.

“We got it from your sister,” Gabriel said. “I don’t suppose ours is on its way.”

“It’s not,” Carlos said flatly. “I don’t want you there.”

“Carlitos-“ Andrea stepped closer but he put a hand up. 

“No, you don’t get to do this,” he said, shaking his head. “You didn’t say a _word_ to me. For over a _year_.”

He felt a hand slip into his and TK pulled close; his actions would have made Carlos’s heart soar if he wasn’t _so_ _livid_.

“If you don’t mind,” Gabriel said, addressing TK. “This is a _family_ matter.”

TK looked to Carlos, who tightened his grip. “TK _is_ my family. He isn’t going anywhere.”

Gabriel just stiffened and glared at him.

“Carlitos,” Andrea said softly. “This is not the way that we raised you.”

“Are you talking about not inviting you to my wedding? Or about _who_ I’m marrying?” He raised an eyebrow.

He heard Judd say something like _let’s give them a minute_ , and _get his ass_ from Marjan. He had to bite back a smile at that.

“You should have told us.”

“Why?”

“Because we are your _parents_ ,” Gabriel snapped as if it was the most obvious thing.

“Who shut me out as soon as I introduced you to my boyfriend.”

“You stopped calling,” Andrea reasoned.

He let out a laugh, one that was devoid of all humor. “You stopped answering! I wasn’t going to keep trying to win you over.”

“Mijo, it’s your _wedding_.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied simply. “I _am_ the one who proposed in the first place.”

Andrea seemed to soften at that. “You did?”

Carlos nodded. “And he said yes; can you believe it?”

TK laughed a little next to him and pressed closer, running his free hand over Carlos’s forearm. 

Gabriel settled his gaze on TK. “You do not have my blessing to marry him.” 

TK gave him a look, furrowing his brows and tilting his head. “I really don’t think that’s your place anymore.”

Carlos looked at him with a small, but proud, smile. Then he looked back up at his parents.

“You are no longer welcome in my house. I have never been _more_ ashamed of you.” 

Carlos’s face fell and he hesitated for a moment. “Dad-“

“You can enjoy your sinful life but you will _not_ bring it into my home.”

“I think it’s time you left,” TK said, stepping between them. Carlos’s shoulders sagged under the weight of the words, threatening to send him crumbling to the floor.

“And you, you drag my son down with you, you-"

“He said go,” Paul said from behind, resting his elbow on Carlos’s shoulder. 

Marjan came up on his other side, Mateo crossing his arms next to her, and he felt Judd’s hand on his shoulder. Carlos looked down with a smile. If he didn’t care so much about how much satisfaction it would give his father, he would have broken down.

Gabriel cast a glare over the group while Andrea- well, Carlos couldn’t quite read her look. There was hurt but also softness and sadness. She put her hand on her husband’s arm and nodded.

“Alright, we’ll go.”

When they turned to leave, Carlos leaned into TK, who pulled him into a hug. 

“You’re okay,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to Carlos’s temple. “It’s okay, I’m so proud of you.”

Carlos pressed his face into the crook of his neck. “Thank you,” he mumbled. 

“We’re always here,” he said, carefully pulling away. “Not just me.”

“All of us,” Paul promised.

Carlos smiled at them. “Thank you...”

“You’re family, Reyes,” Judd shrugged.

“Family protects each other,” Mateo smiled. 

Carlos looked over the faces of his friends, of his _family_ , and felt a deep sense of love and peace, a feeling that gave him strength and made him want to cry all at once. He didn’t have anything to give back to them but _maybe_ that was okay.

“You can make it up to us,” Marjan started, as if reading his mind, “by letting me beat you in Mario cart.” 

She smirked, bumping his shoulder playfully. He laughed and nodded.

“I'll play but can’t promise you’ll win.”

“Oh, I’ll win.” 

They all started back toward the couches but TK tugged Carlos back. 

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked, searching his eyes. 

“I’ll be fine,” Carlos nodded, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You know, I really appreciate you.”

“Come on, love birds!” 

TK bit his lip and laughed, “I really appreciate you too.”

* * *

Carlos closed the bedroom door behind him quietly, grimacing when the hinges squeaked. He heard TK shift in the bed and he sighed. 

"Babe?" He mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. 

"Go back to sleep, mi cariño," Carlos said softly, kicking his shoes off by the door. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Nah, I'm up now," he grumbled, flipping the light on and running his hands over his face. "What are you doing home so late?"

"Early," Carlos corrected, smiling a little. He settled into the bed next to TK. "And I had a shift, remember?"

TK just hummed sleepily, curling into Carlos. The officer just smiled as he slipped back into sleep. Then there was a knock on the door downstairs and Carlos groaned. TK whined, holding him tighter. 

"Amor, I have to get that," he said, reluctantly pulling away. TK whined again and pressed his face against his fiance's pillow. 

Carlos smiled and made his way to the front door. He looked out the window and froze. 

"Shit..."

"Who is it?" TK called. 

"No one, Ty, just... stay there." He took a breath and slowly opened the door. "Mom."

She just looked at him for a moment. "May I come in?"

"No."

He cringed inwardly, wanting nothing more than to let her in. To sit with her and to hug her. For her to make everything okay again. But they hadn't seen each other- they hadn't _spoken-_ since that day at the firehouse a few weeks before. 

She seemed hurt by the statement too, looking down at the ground for a moment. "I wanted to apologize."

He tried to find something wrong, some _hint_ of a facade, but she seemed like she was telling the truth. 

"Mom-"

"You're father doesn't know that I'm here. I... hate that I missed important moments in your life, and I hate that I wasn't there."

"Carlos?"

He turned to see TK at the top of the stairs, a concerned look on his face. 

"It's fine, T, go back to bed."

TK hesitated for a moment but nodded, disappearing around the corner again. 

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

He shook his head. "No, ma. I just got home after a long shift."

"Should I come back-"

"Why are you here? What made you come? Why now?"

She tugged on her purse. "I saw how much you loved him. When you talked about him. How you looked at him." 

Carlos smiled a little to himself. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Andrea smiled. "And I would love to get to know him more. Anyone who's important to you should be important to me."

Carlos frowned. "And what about Dad?"

"He's blinded by his own beliefs."

He shook his head. "He's got his head up his ass-"

"Carlitos-"

"No, mom, he... he said those things to Tk." He shrugged and looked away. "It's one thing for him to say it to me, but _not_ to him. You can't apologize for him."

"I know, I know." She stepped closer, her hesitation evident. "Even if your father disagrees, I want you to know that I love you. And I have never been more proud of you. For telling us, and for this life that you're building for yourself."

Carlos softened and, before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, tightly and desperately, like she missed this as much as he did. She pulled away after a few moments. 

"Get some rest, mijo."

"I will," he nodded. "And maybe, we can go for coffee sometime. The three of us," he gestured up the stairs. "You can get to know TK a little more."

"I would love that," she smiled and nodded. "Good night, Carlos."

"Night, mom."

"And good night, TK," she called up the stairs.

"Night, Mrs. Reyes," TK said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

She smiled at Carlos and patted his cheek gently before leaving. He closed the door and turned toward the stairs. 

"So it went well?" TK asked, sitting on the top step and Carlos nodded. 

"Yeah, I think so."

TK smiled and opened his arms, a silent invitation. Carlos let out a breath and nearly fell into his arms, curling up into him, his knees to his chest. He felt at home and _safe_ in his arms. 

"'M sorry I woke you up," he mumbled sleepily. 

"It's okay," TK assured him, pressing a kiss to his head. "You tired?" Carlos nodded and pulled closer. "Let's go to bed, yeah?" 

* * *

Come chat on [my Tumblr?](https://futures-tense.tumblr.com/ask)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated my loves!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated :))


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